Exclusive: Referee followed Man United red card for Dorgu with pointless act
Man United defender Patrick Dorgu was correctly sent off for a horror tackle against Ipswich but there was no point to the referee’s actions along with it, according to Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that referee Darren England was right to send the Danish defender off, but should not be wasting his time explaining his decision.
Dorgu and Andre Onana were at fault for Ipswich’s first goal, after a mix-up between the pair allowed Jaden Philogene to open the scoring in the fourth minute.
Sam Morsy then scored an own-goal for United, and Matthijs de Ligt was on hand to poke home from close range to give the Red Devils the lead.
Another Onana error led to another Philogene goal on the stroke of half-time, in no small part thanks to Man United target Liam Delap.
Harry Maguire was on-hand to give United all three points with a goal in the 47th minute, moving United up to 14th in the Premier League table.
However, Dorgu’s red card in the 43rd minute, and his interaction with the referee caught the eye of Hackett.
Ex-PGMOL chief gives red card verdict in feisty Man United vs Ipswich
With United looking to establish control in the game whilst leading 2-1 in a frenetic first-half, Dorgu a January signing from Lecce, flew into a tackle, with his foot flying over the ball and straight into the shin of Hutchinson.
It was a nasty challenge, and after initially being shown a yellow, the referee was called over to the VAR monitor, changing his mind, and showing the young defender a red card.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Dorgu |
| Appearances | 3 |
| Starts | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 1 |
| Red cards | 1 |
| Minutes | 223 |
When asked by Football Insider about Dorgu’s foul, and England taking the time to explain his decision before sending the left-back off, Hackett said: “The red card issued by Darren England is correct, this is a challenge with excessive force, that endangers the safety of his opponent.
“Frankly, [when refereeing myself] I monitored the player leaving the field of play without engaging in any discussion, it is easy in the heat of the situation to be accused of saying something.
“You should monitor for sure, but there is no point of explaining why the player is being sent off, it is pretty obvious when you make a challenge with such force.”
Harry Maguire on-hand to bail-out Ruben Amorim and Man United
Maguire has endured a torrid time at United in recent years, often being a punching-bag for frustrated fans.
Under Ruben Amorim, the England international has established himself as a key piece at the heart of the Portuguese manager’s defence.
Maguire bailed out Man United against Leicester in the FA Cup, in controversial fashion, and the former Hull City man was on hand to once again score his sides winner.